Survey Requirements for Environmental Easements

A survey map is required as part of an Environmental Easement package.

The survey must bear the name, address, telephone number, signature and certification of the professional land surveyor who performed the survey, his or her official seal and registration number, the date the survey was completed, the dates of all of the surveyor's revisions.

The survey boundaries must be drawn to a convenient scale, with that scale clearly indicated. A graphic scale, shown in feet and meters, must be included.

The symbols and abbreviations that are used on the survey must be identified by the use of a legend.

Diagrams must be accurately presented.

The point of beginning of the legal description must be shown.

The legal description must be correct.

The legal description must state the acreage.

If the deed(s) description differs from the measured bearings/angles/distances, both must be indicated on the survey.

The survey must show the location of all buildings/monuments/overlaps/encroachments upon the surveyed property with their locations defined by measurement perpendicular to the nearest perimeter boundaries.

The survey must depict the location of visible improvements within five feet of each side of boundary lines.

The survey must show ponds, lakes, springs, rivers or a natural water boundary bordering on or running through the surveyed property; the survey must measure the location of the natural water boundary and note on the survey the date of the measurement.

The survey must correctly depict the environmental easement area with corresponding metes and bounds description and acreage, and include the following sentence:"This property is subject to an environmental easement held by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation pursuant to Title 36 of Article 71 of the New York Environmental Conservation Law. The engineering and institutional controls for this Easement are set forth in more detail in the Site Management Plan (SMP). A copy of the SMP must be obtained by any party with an interest in the property. The SMP can be obtained from NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Remediation, Site Control Section, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233 or atderweb@dec.ny.gov".
This reference must be located on the face of the survey and be in at least 15-point type.

If the survey consists of more than one sheet, sheets must be numbered and the total number of sheets must be indicated on each sheet.

In addition to county-specific requirements, submittal of the approved survey to the Department must include the following:

A "D" sized copy (24" x 36") of the final signed, stamped map

A 600 DPI scan of the final signed, stamped map

An AutoCad .dwg or exported .dxf file of the polyline (at a minimum) of the final survey.